Let the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games Begin!
by ohsnapitspercy
Summary: "A promise is a promise." What started out as a comforting statement turned into almost certain death. Lexi Stalde, a brave fifteen year old girl, is forced to leave her family and compete in a fight to the death called The Hunger Games. She believes she has little chance at survival but when she falls for a Career, will everything change? Will Lexi emerge victorious?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Here's my first**

**Hunger Games Fanfic! Enjoy!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy**

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Effie Trinket's bubbly voice echoed through the square. "Welcome! Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be _ever _in your favor!" She took a quick breath. "Now, before we begin, we have a special message sent to you all the way from the capitol!"

I stood in a pool of fifteen year olds; none of us watched the dull video of the Dark Days. It was the same video that played every year, reminding us why children were to be sent off to their deaths each year. The girl beside me sobbed. Her pale hands covered he face. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't cry, you'll be fine." I whispered into her ear. "I promise."

She lifted her head and stared into my eyes. "You really think so?"

"There are thousands of little slips in there. Only a few have your name on it." I had never met this girl before, but I felt the need to comfort her.

The corners of her lips raised into a slight smile. I repeated my earlier words as I wrapped her in a hug; "I promise."

"I just love that!" Effie said after the video ended. "As usual, ladies first!" She crossed over to the glass ball with all the girl names in it. Twenty of them were mine.

She dug her hand into the paper. Probably not even considering that she was about to send two people to their certain death.

She walked back to the microphone. I held my breath. "Dakota Enloft!"

I sighed with relief.

"See, you're safe for this year." I turned to the girl next to me to discover she was no longer there.

I directed my gaze back to the stage. The girl was standing at the bottom of the steps, staring up at Effie.

_"Don't cry, you'll be fine." I whispered into her ear. "I promise."_

"No!" I screamed. I ran up and grabbed Dakota's arm. "I volunteer!"

Dakota whipped around and stared at me. "What are you doing?" She asked. "You barely know me."

"A promise is a promise, no matter how well I know you."

"Well, how exciting! Come on up! Let's give this brave young woman a round of applause." The crowd stayed silent.

With my back facing the audience, I made my way up the stairs. Effie gripped my hand and pulled me to the center of the stage. "What is your name, dear?"

"Lexi Stalde." I answered with a blank expression on my face.

"Okay, let's move on." Effie drew out the name of the boy who would end up trying to kill me.

"Peeta Mellark!" She announced.

_One of the baker's sons. _That's the only thing I knew about him. Good.

"Congratulations to this year's tributes from District Twelve!"

Peeta and I were escorted to the Justice Building. I was sent to an empty room to say my goodbyes.

First to visit was my father and siblings. My only sister, Haven, came up and kissed my forehead. We are identical twins, a rare thing in our district.

"Why did you do it?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"I promised her she would be okay. I can't break a promise." Haven buried her head in my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Haven."

Not only was she my twin, but she was also my best friend. Haven understood me more than anybody else. "It's okay; I would've done the same."

My Father put his hand on my back. "I'm proud to say you're my daughter."

After giving him a long hug, I kneeled in front of my two younger brothers. Xander was seven and Ryett was eleven. Tears streamed down Xander's face while Ryett held them back.

I wrapped both of them in a hug. A few Peacekeepers came in and started to drag them away. Haven started to scream.

"Lexi! You have to come home! Please, Lexi! You have to win!"

"I'll try, I promise." _Promise. That's what started this._

I kissed her cheek one last time. She grabbed for my hand as she was pulled away. I felt her press something into my palm. Then she was gone.

I examined the shiny silver bracelet she had given me. It had six charms in the shape of hearts, each with a name engraved on it. _Xander, Ryett, Haven, and Lexi _were the charms in the middle. The outside ones had my dad's name, Josiah and the very last charm was my mother. Adrienne. She was murdered three years ago when I was twelve. A case that still remains unsolved.

The door opened again. Dakota dashed in and hugged me. She was uncontrollably sobbing.

"I'm so sorry! I caused all this!" She screamed.

"Dakota, it's fine, I'm alright."

I had known her for maybe a half an hour but she already felt like my best friend.

"I'll be cheering you on, Lexi." She said. "Thank you."

A Peacekeeper interrupted us. "Times up, Miss." He took her by the arm and led her out the door.

I was taken out to a car and told to get in. We didn't have many cars in District Twelve. Peeta and I rode in silence to the train station.

I gasped as I got my first look of the train. There's only one word to describe it; beautiful.

"You have one hour to yourself until dinner. I'll show you to your rooms." Effie informed.

The first thing I did when I got to my room was bury myself in the oversized bed. My bed at home was half the size and I shared it with my sister.

I figured I ought to go take a bath. I opened three doors then finally found the bathroom. For the first time in my life, I got to take a shower with hot water.

The shower had a panel with multicolored buttons. I pressed one and it shot peach smelling soap at my body. Another gave me coconut shampoo. After messing around with it for awhile, I finally felt clean.

I stepped out onto a black mat. Air started to blow on me at every angle, drying my hair and body while scaring the crap out of me.

I dress in a white dress with pink and green floral patterns on it. It rested at the middle of my shins. I wrapped a thin brown belt around my wait and slipped on a matching pair of brown flats.

I sat on my bed, twirling my bracelet and waiting for time to pass. I thought of home. Of my sister, my house, my old dog named Sasha. Everything that was being left behind.

Effie knocked on my door and told me it was time to eat.

When I entered the dinning compartment I stared at all the food. I had never seen so much in one place. There was roast beef, bread slices, fish, and all kinds of delicacies I couldn't even name. Peeta was already in his seat.

"You may sit anywhere you would like." Effie gestured around the room.

I grabbed a plate and filled it to the brim. I heard Peeta start talking but I tuned out and started to stuff myself with food.

I lifted my head when I heard glass shatter. I saw Haymitch, the only victor from District Twelve, had entered the room. Peeta had smacked his cup of liquor out of his hand and I watched as Haymitch punched Peeta in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Haymitch reached for another bottle of alcohol but I grabbed his wrist and twisted it backwards, causing him to drop it on the table. I didn't know what Peeta and Haymitch were talking about but I knew it was the drink that had caused him to hurt Peeta so I figured it was the right thing to do.

"Well, what do we have here? Did I actually get a decent pair of kids this year?" Haymitch studied our faces. "Tell you what, you don't interfere with my drinking and I'll help you guys. We have a deal?"

"Deal." Peeta and I said in unison.

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**Should I continue? I know it's not the best, but It'll get better. Anyway, thanks for reading! Enjoy the rest of your day and may the odds be ****_ever _****in your favor... Bye!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the late chapter! My computer was broken for about a month and all my documents were deleted. Luckily, I've been writing the next chapters in my notebook so after I copy them all to my computer, I can submit those! Anyway, here's Chapter 2!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**

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Chapter 2

I stared out the window as the Capitol came into view. Peeta stood next to me, waving at the colorful crowd.

Effie came up behind us, "This is where you will be spending the two weeks leading up to the games."

"It's also where you train and get allies." Haymitch added. "Which is an important part of survival."

I looked up at Peeta. "Are we going to be allies in the Arena?"

He shrugged. "If you want, I'm pretty useless though."

"We can be useless together then."

After exiting the train, we made our way through the crowd of people and into the building.

We followed Effie into an elevator. "District Twelve is the top floor. You get the penthouse." She pressed the twelve button and we lurched upwards at a sickening speed.

I was sent to my room, which had a bed, shower, programmable closet, and a bunch of other unnecessary gadgets.

I took a quick shower, being careful about which buttons I pushed. I programmed the closet to my style and put on one of the nightgowns it held.

I climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over my head. I closed my eyes hoping I would get some sleep before training tomorrow, but sleep brought nightmares.

I was in the arena. All I could see were trees in every direction. The grass below me was dead and yellow.

I was about to take a step forward when a body slammed into me. It was a girl with a knife. I screamed as she drove it into my heart.

I woke up in a cold sweat. There was someone hovering over me but it was too dark to make out who it was.

I imagined it being the girl from my dreams. Without thinking, I pushed her off me.

She hit the ground with a thud. "Lexi, calm down, it's just me." It was Peeta.

I hopped out of bed and helped him to his feet.

"Why are you in my room?" I demanded.

"Well, you were screaming your head off and I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He replied.

"Oh..." I sighed. "Sorry, I was just having a nightmare. You can go back to bed."

He nodded. "Feel free to come get me if it happens again."

After he left I sat in bed for the remaining hours of the night. At about 7:30, Effie knocked on my door and told me to get ready for a 'big, big, day'.

I quickly got dressed and made my way down to breakfast.

There was a huge table filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, and just about any other breakfast food you could think of. I grabbed a plate and overflowed it with food.

Peeta was already eating so I sat next to him and dug in. "Try not to eat too much, we have the parade today." He whispered into my ear.

Despite his suggestion, I eat most of what is on my plate.

"Today you guys are going to meet your Prep Team and Stylist. No matter what they do to you, don't complain. Just go with it and it will be over faster." Haymitch said.

I glanced at Peeta and I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was; _What ridiculous outfit are they going to put us in this year?_

When we all had finished, I was taken to a room where I would meet my Prep Team. All I was allowed to wear was a think white robe but as soon as the three odd people entered the room I was forced to remove that as well.

They walked in circles, inspecting every inch of me. I felt uncomfortable, but I remembered what Haymitch had told me earlier.

A woman with pea green skin and a vibrant wig directed me to a table and told me to sit down. She slathered a thick yellowish substance on something that resembles paper. She puts it on my leg then rips it off.

"Ouch!" I scream. I look down at my leg and see it is free of hair.

"I'm sorry!" She apologizes. "Just a few more and you're done!" She had an annoying Capitol accent. The same accent Haven and I would always make fun of when we were alone.

The lady kept talking as she worked. She told me her name was Octavia and the other members of my Prep Team were Flavius and Venia.

After a lot of pain, Octavia was finally done. She patted my arm and called to a man with orange hair and purple lipstick who was apparently Flavius.

He came over and started to brush out my hair. He cut at least an inch off and then he started to style it. He pulled all the hair to the side of my head and started to braid. I tried to watch out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't see it very well.

"Perfect." Flavius uttered breathlessly. He held a mirror in front of my face. This wasn't like the braids we wore back in District Twelve.

"It's called a Fishtail Braid." Flavius informed me.

My hair was tightly woven into the braid along with red, orange, and yellow ribbon. "It's beautiful." _Maybe it will take attention away from whatever outfit I have to wear._

Another woman with aqua hair, Venia, came over and grabbed my hand. She stared at my cracked nails with a disapproving expression. She soaked them in some kind of liquid, filed them, and then started to paint them.

First, she painted my whole nail black. Then she went in with small brushes and strange tools. After she had closed the nail polishes, she sprayed them with something I didn't know the name of.

"There. What do you think?" She asked.

I looked down at my nails. They had flame designs that looked very realistic and delicate. "Amazing," I said with a smile. "You did a fantastic job."

"Cinna, your stylist, will be here in a little bit. He'll talk to you about what you will be wearing for the opening ceremony." My Prep Team left the room. I wondered what it's like being them, getting to know a tribute and then having to watch them get killed in the arena. Would they even remember me after I die? Will they try to forget me?

The door opened and a man entered. He wore a plain black shirt and jeans. The only thing colored about him was the thin line of gold eyeliner about his eyelashes. "Hello, I'm Cinna, your stylist."

"Y-You're normal." I stammered.

He laughed slightly. "Look, I'm sorry this happened to you but I'm here to help you get sponsors. Sponsors are people from the Capitol who donate money to their favorite tributes to pay for things you might need like medicine or food."

I walked away from me and grabbed a bag from a rack. "This is what you will be wearing when you are introduced to all of Panem."

He unzipped the bag and pulled out a plain black jumpsuit. "Put this on."

I did as I was told and soon I was dressed in the outfit. Cinna put a black cape around my neck and put a matching crown on my head, careful not to mess up my braid. "Before you get into your chariot, I am going to light your cape and crown on fire." I started to object but he quieted me and continued. "It won't be real fire, but it will the look just the same."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He laid his hand on my shoulder. "I promise you will be perfectly safe."

"Do I have to wear any makeup?" Usually all the tributes wear tons of makeup, so much that when they were put in the arena, they were barely recognizable. Thankfully, Cinna shook his head.

"I want you to look like you. Besides, you don't have anything to improve. Your beauty is natural."

Cinna takes me to the place where we will be meeting with Peeta and his stylist, Portia. Peeta wears the same black jumpsuit and cape. He smiles at me as we get closer. He pulls me off to the side where nobody can hear us. "I'll rip your cape off if you rip off mine." He said. "Deal."

We are ushered into the chariot. Cinna lights my cape first and Peeta stared at my face, looking for any sign of discomfort.

I felt no heat at all. I smiled at Peeta and he let out a sigh of relief. After my crown is lit, Cinna crosses over to Peeta and soon we both have flames surrounding us.

The horses that pulled our chariot started to move. Peeta grabbed onto my hand as we lurched forward.

People gasped as we emerged. Claudius Templesmith, the announcer, voiced our District into a microphone. People chanted our names. I waved and smiled, mostly just trying to copy Peeta.

We came to a stop at the City Circle. President Snow stepped up to the podium to give his speech about the Dark Days and the Hunger Games but the crowd was still screaming. The President waited for them to calm, then he started to speak.

I mostly ignored him. I looked around at the audience; most of their eyes were focused on me. I was still smiling. _Do I actually have a chance at this? Is it possible that Cinna just saved my life?_

I wondered what my family was thinking. I knew they were going to be at home watching me, all of them piled into our small family room.

My thoughts were interrupted when our chariot started moving again. I almost lost my balance but Peeta was there to catch me. We made it back to Cinna and Portia.

"Wonderful job, you two! That was amazing! Everyone loved you!" Portia praised.

I nodded. All I wanted was rest. Today had been a long day. I didn't know if I was imagining it or not, but I thought I saw the boy from District two looking at me. I glanced over at him and sure enough, he was glaring at me. He was most likely mad that I had stolen his spotlight. I rolled my eyes and followed Effie  
and Haymitch back into the training center.

When I got to my room I took off my jumpsuit and laid it on the nightstand. I slipped on a blue silky nightgown and I let myself fall on my bed and into a dreamless sleep.

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**I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think by reviewing. Thank you to the people who have followed and favorited my story, it really means a lot to me! Thank you for reading! May the odds be ever in your favor!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Readers! Here's chapter three! Enjoy :)**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**

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Chapter 3

When I woke up in the morning I still felt tired. Effie Trinket was standing outside my door telling me to get ready for another 'big, big day'.

Today was the first day of training. All the tributes would be put in a room surrounded by deadly weapons. _Sounds fun._

I took a quick shower and dressed myself in the black and red shirt and gray pants that someone had left on my dresser. I quickly put my hair in a braid that fell over my shoulder. I went to meet the others for breakfast even though I wasn't hungry.

I was the last one to arrive. Peeta, Effie, Haymitch, and the stylist had already started eating. I sat down in the only available seat, which was next to Haymitch.

"Morning," Peeta said. He was wearing the same outfit as me and the other tributes would be too.

Giving Peeta a nod, I put a small amount of eggs on a plate and nibbled on them.

"When you're in the Training Center, try not to show your talents. Learn as much as you can and watch the others to see what they can do." Haymitch said in between bites of toast.\

"Should I at least check out a few of the weapon stations to see if I'm good with any of them?" I asked. It wasn't fair for Haymitch to send us into the arena without even knowing how to use a weapon.

Effie cleared her throat. "She does have a point."

Haymitch glared at me. I could tell he didn't like me questioning him. "Alright, fine. But if you find a something you're good at don't stay there too long. And try to go to the stations that aren't as full as the rest of them."

I silently agreed with him and went back to my eggs. If I made Haymitch angry he might try to talk sponsors into donating money to Peeta instead of me. I guess that really didn't matter considering we were allies, but if we were to split up for some reason, Haymitch could be the key to my survival.

"Why can't we show our talents? The Careers always show off during training and they win every time." Peeta questioned.

"Because, if they start seeing you as a threat, when it comes time to start the games, they will do anything to keep the weapon you like away from you. With the Careers it's different. They travel in a pack and they mostly control the Cornucopia. They can get anything they want." Haymitch growled.

The rest of the meal was silent. Our mentor wouldn't make eye contact with anyone and it was obvious he was mad.

A few minutes later, Effie stood. "We better get going. Don't want to be late!" She scurried off towards the elevator. I saw no choice but to follow.

When we arrived, all the Districts were there. The head trainer, Atala, gathers all of us into a circle. She lists off all of the stations and tells us not to ignore the Survival station even though most of the tributes will anyway. After she tells us all the rules, we are dismissed.

I watch as Peeta heads towards the Edible Plant Station and I debate on whether or not to follow him. I decide against it. If we avoid going to the same stations we can combine everything we learned when we are in the arena.

I sat down at the Knot Tying Station. The trainer looks delighted and I figured he didn't get to teach that often. He shows me how to make a basic snare and how to set a trap that will hand an opponent by their feet if they step on it.

I thank the trainer and look around the room. Peeta had moved on to the Camouflage station. Since neither of us had gone to a weapon yet, I decided to try out the empty Ax station.

There were three human shaped dummies lined up in front of me. I picked up a small ax with a wooden handle and swung me arm back. I released as my arm flew forward and the ax went flying. It landed on the head of the dummy. If that had been aiming for the head, then I would've been happier with me results but I had been aiming for the dummies heart.

I sighed and went to the Archery station. The girl from one was there, and she was good.

As I approached her, she smiled. "Hi, I'm Glimmer. District One."

Her kindness confused me but I smiled back. "I'm Lexi, District Twelve."

Glimmer seemed pretty focused on her target so I picked up a bow. After swiftly notching an arrow, I pulled back on the bowstring and fired. I was close to the middle, but a little off to the right.

I notched another arrow and shot again. Perfect Bulls-eye! I silently praised myself as I set the bow down. Now I knew that I had a slight chance if I got a bow.

Another station in the middle of the room caught my eye. The Sword station. The boy from Two, who I learned was named Cato, was there. He stabbed the dummies that surrounded him and even chopped off some of their heads.

Cato was one of the Career tributes who volunteered to come into the games. He was tall and muscular, with dirty blonde hair that was about the same color as mine. We both had blue eyes but mine didn't show the same hatred that his did. He would be hard to beat.

I walked over to the sword station and waited for Cato to finish. I stood there for five minutes before he even noticed me.

He set the sword down and came towards me. "You want to try?"

I didn't think Haymitch would appreciate it if I went against him and used the sword while Cato was watching but I agreed. I would rather get punished by my mentor than look like a coward in front of the leader of the Careers.

I took the sword and tried to get a feel for it. When I was ready, I slashed at the first dummy and sent its head flying. I sped up and soon it was just a blur. I chopped, slashed, stabbed, and cut. When I arrived at the last dummy, I did a forward-roll and drove the sword into its heart.

Stuffing littered the floor and most of the tributes had stopped what they were doing to watch me. I had completely destroyed all of the targets and I wasn't even winded.

I handed the sword back to Cato. "Thanks."

He didn't reply. Once again, I stole his spotlight. I didn't think he was happy.

Peeta ran up to me and dragged me into a corner. "What were you thinking?" He hissed. "Haymitch said not to show your talents!"

"I didn't know I could do that until I tried!" I snapped. Peeta started to walk away from me but I caught his arm. "Peeta, I'm sorry. I didn't know all those people would watch me."

Peeta sighed. "At least you figured out a weapon you can use. I tried the hand-to-hand combat and the trainer said I was pretty good."

"That could be useful but I still think you should find a weapon. Most of the tributes will have one and if you run into them your chances won't be very good if all you have is your hands. Maybe you could try knives or spears."

It turns out; Peeta was good at both of them. He could hit the center target every time. I could tell he was proud of himself.

We were about to go to the Survival Station when Atala calls us in for lunch. Peeta and I sit alone at the last table. I figured we would talk about training or battle strategies but Peeta surprises me when he asks about my family.

"There's not that much to tell. It's just me, my sister, my two brothers, and my dad." I stared down at my feet, wishing I could say my mom too.

"You and your sister are twins, right? Isn't her name Haven?" He asked.

"Yeah, we're really close. She the only reason I'm trying to win these stupid Games. Well, her and Dakota."

Peeta thought for a moment. "That's the girl you volunteered for?" I nodded.

"She was crying during the film and I promised her she would be okay. But then her name got called and I felt so bad so I had to. It was either this or live the rest of my life in guilt."

"I didn't realize how brave you were." Peeta complimented.

I twisted my silver bracelet around my wrist. "Thanks."

~O~

On the third day of training, the Gamemakers start to call us in during lunch for our private sessions. District Twelve goes last just like every year. When the boy from Eleven, Thresh, is called, Peeta and I are alone.

"What are you going to do?" He asked me.

I thought for a moment. "I'm probably going to use the sword and bow. What about you?"

"Knives or spears, I guess."

Our conversation is interrupted by a computerized voice calling my name. Peeta and I wish each other luck and I go inside.

Only four or five of the Gamemakers watch me. I pick up a sword at the corner of the room and stand in front of a row of ten dummies. I take a quick breath, and then I start. Just like before, everything was a blur. I spun as I went from one target to the next. I rolled and flipped. I reached the end of my targets quickly. I set my sword down and ran over to the archery station.

I snatched up the bow and notched an arrow. Bulls-eye. I shot again at another target and repeated my earlier result.

I looked up at the Gamemakers. All of them watched me now. "Thank you, Miss Stalde." One of them said.

I nodded and walked out the door.

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**I hope you enjoyed! Please review and favorite :D Have a wonderful day and may the odds be ****_ever_**** in your favor!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the late update! I had to go to my Dad's house for a while and I couldn't write. But I finally finished it :D Enjoy!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**

* * *

Chapter 4

Cesar Flickerman's voice echoed throughout the room. "Welcome, everyone! I'm Cesar Flickerman with this year's Hunger Games Training Scores!"

The words 'District One' appear on the screen along with the scores of the two tributes. Most of the Careers got tens. Surprisingly, the twelve year old from District Eleven got a seven.

When District Twelve appeared on the screen, I leaned forward.

"From District Twelve, Peeta Mellark… With a score of eight." Cesar announced.

I smiled at Peeta, who had a relieved look on his face. "We can work with that." Effie said

"Last but not least, from District Twelve, Lexi Stalde… With a score of ten."

My mouth dropped. _A ten? That's the same score as the Careers! _

There was a lot of clapping and cheering. I looked at Peeta. "They can't count District Twelve out this year." He whispered.

We all ate dinner, which consisted of pot roast and mashed potatoes.

_I might actually have a chance at this. I could go home. _

I ate quickly. When Effie dismissed me, I went up to my room to go to sleep. I slipped a nightgown over my head and lay in my bed.

As soon as my eyes closed, I drifted off to sleep.

_I was in the arena again. The same girl that had attacked me in my first dream was dead at my feet. I had a bloody sword in my hand. _

_"May I present to you, the victor of the Seventy Fourth Hunger Games, Lexi Stalde!" Cesar's voiced announced._

_I was the victor. _

_I rode home on a train with Effie and Haymitch. I saw Haven first, hugging me and kissing my cheeks. Dakota was there too, jumping up and down and clapping. My brothers, my dad, everyone I loved. _

_Suddenly the crowd parted and a woman with black hair and dark eyes emerged. _

_"Mom!"_

My head shot up. I placed my hands over my face to try to stop the tears that were threatening to spill. I told myself over and over that she was gone, and there was nothing I could do.

I lay awake the rest of the night until Effie came to wake me. I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My face was red and puffy from crying all night and to make things worse today was the interviews that would be shown on every television in Panem.

After thoroughly washing my face, I hopped in the shower.

Effie was going to teach me 'how to behave like a lady' today and I wasn't too excited for it. She had left a long silver dress on my bed. It was sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline. The light skirt was glittery and fell past my feet. It was beautiful.

There was a pair of sparkly silver heels to go with the dress. They were at least three inches tall. I slipped them on my feet and tried to take a step. The heels got tangled in my dress and I fell forward.

_I can't believe Effie wants me to go to breakfast in this. _

After a few more attempts I decided walking wasn't an option. I crawled out of my room and into the elevator.

I got to my feet as the elevator doors opened. Using the walls for support, I took a few unsteady steps towards the table.

Effie gasped at the sight of me. "We must get started right after breakfast!"

I rolled my eyes and sat down, trying to enjoy my meal.

~O~

"Stand straight and let go of your dress!" Effie exclaimed.

We were in my bedroom. Effie sat on my bed while I tried to master walking in high heels. The fabric of my dress kept getting caught on the heel of my shoe causing me to trip. I was getting better though, I could take a few steps without falling.

Effie looked at her wristwatch. "Our hour is almost up! You must learn this quickly or you will make a fool of yourself in front of all of Panem."

I released the skirt of my dress and it fell to the floor. I took one small step after another and reached the other side of the room.

"Well done!" Effie praised. "Now try to walk back."

I tried to walk back at my normal speed and succeeded.

Effie told me I could change into some regular clothes. I put on a blue and white checkered dress with spaghetti straps and black tennis shoes with white laces. It felt good to be back in normal clothes.

I met Haymitch downstairs to talk about my interview.

"So, how did it go with Effie?" He asked as I entered the room.

I sighed. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Haymitch studied me for a moment. "Anybody that's seen you would think you're a girly girl who likes to dress up and be pretty. But anybody that has talked to you knows that if you're angry enough, you could take out a whole army. I think we should combine fierce and girly and use that as your approach."

"Wait a second. What makes you think I could take out a whole army?" I said.

"One of the other mentors told me about what happened in training when you were using the sword." Haymitch raised an eyebrow at me.

My face grew hot and I looked at my feet. "Sorry."

"I just want you to know that you aren't going to get a sword in the arena. Even if there is one in the Cornucopia don't go for it. If you get it Cato will hunt you down and kill you for it now that he knows you can use it. Your training score doesn't help that either. Once you're in the arena get as far from the Careers as possible." Haymitch said.

Haymitch opened his mouth to say something else when my Prep Team entered the room. They escorted me to the remake center and ordered me to lie on a table. They took my clothes and placed them in a nearby drawer. Octavia approached me first with the substance she put on my legs last time that I learned was wax. She put it on my legs once again and ripped it off.

It took all my strength to keep my mouth shut. By the time she had moved onto my left leg, I was biting my lip so hard I had drawn blood. She also put the wax on my eyebrows and above my lip. She did my lip last and I let out a scream.

"It's alright, you're finished." Octavia patted my face and waved Flavius over. His orange corkscrew curls bounced on his head as he strutted over to me with a hair brush and hair ties. He also had my orange, red, and yellow ribbon in his hand. He started to fishtail braid my hair. I tried to watch but I could only see one side of my hair. He caught me looking and let me hold a mirror so I could see. Flavius was definitely my favorite member of the Prep Team.

When he had finished it was perfect just like before. The vibrant ribbons brought out the golden flecks in my light blue eyes. "You look stunning, Miss Stalde." Flavius whispered.

"Thank you and you can call me Lexi."

He gave me a friendly smile and walked away. Venia came over to me and picked up my hand. She grabbed a white ball soaked in a clear liquid and wiped off my nail polish. She re-did my flames so they looked exactly like they did before.

She grabbed a colorful bag from a desk and pulled out a compact. I recognized it as powder. She lightly dusted it on my face and then packed it away. She applied a light pink blush and white eye shadow. She also drew a thin line of black eyeliner with a wing on the end, completed with mascara. To finish it off, she put red lip gloss on my lips.

Venia held a mirror up to me with a large smile plastered on her face. I smiled to, once I had seen the wonderful job she had done.

My Prep Team scurried out of the room and a few moments later, Cinna entered. I wasn't as frightened to see what I would be wearing this time because Cinna's last design was marvelous.

He unzipped a white bag that I assumed held my dress. He pulled out a gorgeous mermaid style red gown. It had one ruffled strap that went across my right shoulder.

I slid the dress over my body and crossed over to the mirror. I let out a gasp as I got a glimpse of myself. I was stunning. The dress made me look radiant, like I was glowing.

"Spin for me." Cinna whispered into my ear.

I turned in a circle. My eyes widened as I was engulfed in flames.

I turned to Cinna and smiled, he had done it again.

~O~

"Ladies and gentlemen, from District Twelve, Lexi Stalde!" Cesar yelled into the crowd.

I stepped onto the stage. I only had three short minutes to win over Panem.

I sat down in the white chair next to Cesar Flickerman, the announcer of the Hunger Games. He greeted me with a handshake and started to speak. "Okay Lexi, we've all been wondering who it was you volunteered for. You didn't share a last name so we know you aren't sisters. So who was she?"

I cleared my throat. I had known that this would be the first question and I was ready for it. "Her name was Dakota Enloft. Before the reaping, I had never met her. But during the film I promised her she would be safe. When she was picked she looked so scared, I knew I had to do something. So I volunteered." I remembered what Haymitch said, _girly but fierce_. "Besides, I still have a chance at winning this. You can't count District Twelve out this year."

The crowd roared and I knew Peeta and I were going to be a favorite among the Capitol.

"We most certainly cannot." Cesar said with a chuckle. "So tell me Lexi, is there any family back home you want to win for?"

"I am definitely trying to win for my dad, my two brothers, Ryett and Xander, and my twin sister, Haven."

"That's very touching, Miss Stalde. We have time for one more question; do you plan on having any allies in the arena?" Cesar asked.

"So far it's just me and my district partner, Peeta Mellark." I quickly replied as the timer buzzed.

Cesar and I both stood. He grabbed my wrist and raised it into the air. "Lexi Stalde, the girl on fire!"

I exited the stage and made it back to my seat before Cesar called Peeta's name. He mostly got the same questions as the other tributes, except his last question was how he thought we would do in the arena.

"Well, Lexi is strong, smart, and resourceful and I have some talent that could be useful. If we stay together, I say there's a chance one of us could win." Peeta answered.

"Good luck to the both of you." Cesar stood and raised Peeta's hand in the air. "Peeta Mellark!"

Cesar ended the show and we were all dismissed. I didn't have a chance to talk to Peeta before he went to his room. I wanted to thank him for what he said about me.

Not wanting to bother him, I went back to my room and showered. I carefully laid my dress on the dresser and changed into a nightgown. I crawled into bed and pulled the thick blankets over my face. I shut my eyes and sleep overcame me.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please review and favorite! I hope you enjoyed and may the odds be ****_ever _****in your favor!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's chapter five! Enjoy!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**

* * *

Chapter 5

A large group of Peacekeepers led me into the Launch Room with Cinna at my side. Today was the day I would be sent into the arena. My siblings would be off school today, just like every Hunger Games.

A female Peacekeeper injected a needle into my arm. "This is your tracker. It will help the Gamemakers know where you are and if you're alive."

All the Peacekeepers left the room, leaving me and Cinna alone.

"As a stylist, I'm not allowed to bet. But if I could, my money would be on you." He whispered.

He took my hand and carefully slid something onto my wrist. It was my silver charm bracelet that Haven had given me; I couldn't believe I had almost forgotten it. "Thank you."

He handed me the jacket I would wear in the arena. I was already dressed in the tight shirt, jeans, and boots. I put on the jacket and zipped it up halfway.

A lady's voice came on over the intercom, "Thirty seconds until launch."

Cinna wrapped his arms around me and wished me luck. With one last glance at him, I stepped into the tube. The glass closed around me and I started to panic. I put my hands against the glass and looked into Cinna's eyes, trying to find comfort. He nodded his head and smiled.

The tube started to rise and for about fifteen seconds I was in pure darkness. As I emerged into the Arena, I had to shield my eyes from the bright sunlight.

A robotic voice began to count down.

**60…**

**59…**

**58…**

My eyes adjusted and I studied the area around me. All the tributes waited in a circle. I was one of the few who stood directly in front of the Cornucopia. To my left was Clove, from District Two, the girl from District Five to my right.

**57…**

**56…**

**55…**

Peeta was three spaces to my left. He met my eyes and I saw fear and nervousness in his gaze.

**54…**

**53…**

**52…**

"Good luck." He mouthed.

**51…**

**50…**

**49…**

I grinned. "May the odds be _ever _in your favor." I mouthed back.

**48…**

**47…**

**46…**

I studied the Arena and tried to think of a plan. I most likely wouldn't survive without something from the Cornucopia. Orange and black backpacks littered the ground around it. The mouth of the Cornucopia was filled with spears, knives, bows, axes, and in the very back of the pile, a silver sword with a cushioned handle.

I had to get it.

**10…**

**9…**

**8…**

**7…**

**6…**

I looked at Peeta and nodded in the direction of the weapon. He shook his head and mouthed the word "No."

**5…**

**4…**

**3…**

**2…**

I ignored him. I had to get that sword. It was the only one in the Arena and if I didn't get it Cato would. I couldn't let that happen.

**1…**

"Let the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games begin!"

I was the first off my plate. I sprinted towards the Cornucopia, snatching up two backpacks along the way. I slung the packs over my shoulder and kept running.

I was at the mouth; the sword was a few feet away. I lunged for it and grabbed the handle. Right next to me was a belt filled with razor sharp knives. I grabbed it for Peeta because I knew he had gone into the forest with nothing. I turned to run when I saw a spear sailing towards my head. I hit the ground and threw one of the knives at my attacker. It hit him in the chest and he fell backwards.

I didn't have time to retrieve the knife due to the boy from Seven aiming a throwing ax at me. I dived out of the way as he released the weapon. The ax lodged itself into the wall of the Cornucopia.

I got to my feet and fled to the woods in search of Peeta. Leaves brushed my face as I tried to put distance between me and the other tributes. I slowed down when I heard a rustle from up ahead. It could have been the wind, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

I got down on my knees and crawled behind an overgrown bush filled with berries. I peeked through the leaves and caught a glimpse of the monstrous boy from District Eleven, Thresh.

He had a spear in one hand and a pack in the other. If I could somehow catch him off guard I might be able to escape.

I reached for one of Peeta's knives. As I pulled it out my elbow hit a twig and it snapped. I froze, hoping Thresh hadn't heard.

"Who's there?" He demanded.

He was standing now. I full plan sprang into my head.

I grabbed another knife. There were still eight left.

In one swift motion I picked up a rock and threw it at a tree. It bounced off the trunk and hit Thresh. Just as planned, Thresh thought it had come from the other direction. While he wasn't facing me, I sprang out my behind the bush and threw both knives at his back. He yelled and fell to his knees.

I ran up to him and pulled my knives out of his skin. I doubted the cuts would kill him but maybe I would have some luck.

I dashed away from Thresh, who was trying to get to his feet. I made it about three or four miles without any sign of Peeta. I was starting to get tired so I picked a tree I could rest in and climbed to one of the top braches. I sat down and leaned my back against the tree trunk.

I unzipped the orange backpack first. I pulled out two pears and set them in my lap. I rummaged through the rest of the contents and found a blanket, an empty water skin, a cookie, and dried beef strips. In the black pack there was an extra jacket, a dozen matches, sliced oranges, and a thick piece of rope.

I divided up the supplies and put half in each backpack. When I found Peeta he could take one bag just in case we got separated.

The Anthem started playing and the first tribute's face was shown in the sky above.

_Is Peeta still alive? _The thought had never occurred to me but now that it had, it seemed very possible.

I watched the sky as the ten total tributes were shown. I counted in my head and I was overjoyed when I learned Peeta was still out there somewhere.

The boy I had killed at the Bloodbath had been from District One. It wasn't very often that a Career died on the first day.

My relief ended when I remembered Thresh was still alive too. There was no doubt in my mind that he was coming for me.

_Will I be the next person to die? There's only fourteen left, and it's only been one day. Only one tribute will come out alive. Do I even have a chance?_

I almost fell out of my tree when an acorn hit me in the head. I looked down as another hit my nose.

Peeta stood at the bottom of my tree, a wide grin on his face. "What the heck are you doing?" I demanded.

"How else was I supposed to get your attention?" He called.

I jumped down from my branch and landed on my feet. "What about saying 'Hey Lexi!'?" I rolled my eyes and threw the orange pack at him. I knelt down and started to cover my black one with mud and leaves. "So, did anything interesting happen to you before you found me?"

"I was watching the Careers build camp by the lake." He replied. "All their supplies is in one big pile but they're making the girl from three rebury all the mines so if anyone tries to take anything they'll get blown to bits."

I nodded. "Do they have the boy from three too?"

Peeta shook his head. "They did at first. Both the District Three tributes were taking turns guarding the supplies. The boy was guarding when Foxface tried to steal some of their stuff. Cato found out and now they're both dead. I think the girl wants to run but she doesn't want to get caught."

"Who's Foxface?" I asked.

"That's what I nicknamed the girl from five."

I reached behind me to grab some leaves when my hand hit my belt of knives. I unbuckled it and handed it to Peeta.

"I see you went to the Cornucopia." He accused.

"Well, yeah. But I had too. If I didn't I would probably be dead right now." I told him about my encounter with Thresh and he sighed.

"Good thing you're fast." He looked away and continued camouflaging his backpack.

I retrieved my water skin out of my bag and held it in front of me. "Do you want to look for water now or later?"

"It would probably be better to go now while everyone's busy." Peeta said.

I gathered all of my possessions and got to my feet. "To find water you have to look for greener plants, mud, and water bugs."

We hiked around for awhile. I threw one of Peeta's knives at rabbits as we went. I brought down two and stashed them in my pack for later.

"Look over there." Peeta whispered. He was pointing in front of us. I followed his gaze and saw Cato and Clove up ahead. I grabbed Peeta's wrist and started taking small steps backwards.

We made it about five yards away when Peeta tripped over a log and fell into a bush. There was a loud thud as he hit the ground. I watched in horror as Clove's head shot up. "What was that?"

Cato looked in our direction. "I'll go check it out. You stay here."

I helped Peeta to his feet. I could tell by the swelling that he sprained his ankle. He could still walk but he had a slight limp and leaves crunched with every step he took.

We hadn't made it very far when a hand landed on my shoulder. I whirled around and found myself facing Cato. "Hey." I choked out in a hushed voice. Peeta was a little ahead and I didn't want him to turn around.

Cato leaned towards my ear. "Get out of here before Clove sees you. I'll tell her it was a squirrel or something. Just try to be quiet." He slid something into my hand and turned to leave. It was a silver bottle filled with water.

"Thank you." I whispered.

He disappeared into the trees and I was left wondering, _why did he let me live?_

I quickly caught up with Peeta. He hadn't even noticed I'd stopped. "I got some water."

He stopped and turned around. "How?" He took the bottle from me. "This isn't even ours!"

I explained to him what happened with Cato. He listened intently the whole time I spoke. When I finished, he asked, "Do you think it's safe to drink?"

"I don't think Cato's that type of person. If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it back there when he had me trapped." I said. "But I still think it should be a last resort."

Peeta nodded in agreement. "Do we have any bandages in one of the bags?" He asked, looking down at his bruised ankle.

"No," I thought for a moment. "But we might be able to use part of the extra jacket to make one."

I dig the jacket out and tore off the sleeve. I wrapped it tightly around Peeta's ankle and tied it off. I sawed a branch off of a tree for Peeta to use as a cane.

"Thanks." He said, trying out the branch.

It was starting to get dark so we picked a place to make a camp. We chose a small space in between a group of trees. I laid the blanket down on the ground and helped Peeta lay down. I sat beside him with my sword drawn, ready to fight anyone who tried to attack us. Peeta told me to wake him up when I was tired and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Sorry about the abrupt ending. I didn't want it to be too far over 2000 words. I'll try to make the next chapter better :) . Have a great rest of your day! May the odds be ****_ever _****in your favor!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Good news everyone! If you look on my bio, at the very bottom I have links to all the outfits Lexi has worn in this story so far. Feel free to check them out if you have time. Anyway, here's Chapter Six! Enjoy!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**

* * *

Chapter 6

I lay on my back and watched the stars that shined bright in the sky. It was late at night and my eyelids felt heavy but I didn't want to wake Peeta yet.

My lips were cracked and my tongue was completely dry. If we didn't find water soon we might die of dehydration.

The temperature was low and a cold breeze blew through the Arena. I zipped up my jacket and dug around my pack for what was left of the extra one. My hand hit the cold water bottle and I brought it out.

_I need to wait for Peeta. _

I put it back in the bag and pulled out the jacket. I draped it around my shoulders and leaned back.

Cato was a Career. Careers loved to kill. Why would he choose to poison me instead of seeing my blood spill? It just didn't make sense.

Something moved behind the bush next to me. In a split second I was on my feet with my sword in my hand. "Who's there?" I called out.

A blonde haired boy with bright blue eyes emerged. I gripped my sword tighter. "Cato."

He put his hands in the air to show he didn't carry any weapons. "I just want to talk."

My head told me this was a trap, but my curiosity got the best of me. I sat down on the blanket in front of Peeta. Cato sat directly in front of me. Even though Cato said no weapons, I kept my sword in reach.

"Why did you let me live?" I blurted out before he could say anything.

"That's why I came here. I don't know. I planned on killing whoever it was but once I saw you, I just couldn't." He said. "Something about you is so… different." I stared at him blankly and he laughed. "See? If I were to say that to Clove or Glimmer, they would probably punch me."

"I'm not Clove or Glimmer though. I'm Lexi. I'm from District Twelve and I didn't train my whole life to enter the games for fun. I'm not a Career." I said.

Cato stared me straight in the eye. Something was distracting him and I could tell. "Cato, what's going on?"

He dropped his gaze. "I was wondering—No, never mind."

"Cato, something's going on. I can tell." I put my hand under his chin so he would look me in the eye.

"No, it's stupid. I should go before anyone notices I'm gone." We both got to our feet. "Tell Peeta you will take first watch tomorrow. I'll try to find you again." He ran back the way he came. I almost called after him, to ask him why, but he was too far away.

I realized I hadn't asked him about the water. Now that I had talked to him I doubted it was poisonous but I still wanted proof.

~O~

"Why did you let me sleep all night?" Peeta demanded.

"I wasn't tired." I snapped. I didn't understand why he was so mad, I did him a favor.

He sighed. "Forget it. We need to go look for water."

I didn't reply. I grabbed my backpack and headed off into the forest with Peeta behind me. He still walked with a limp so any tribute within a quarter mile would be able to locate us.

We traveled for about ten minutes when we found a wide stream. I emptied the bottle Cato had given to me and refilled it along with the water skin I had gotten from the Cornucopia.

After I had returned the water to the backpacks, I climbed a tree to see if there were any nearby threats.

I saw movement in the tree next to me. Two pairs of brown eyes stared at me through the leaves.

The two tributes jumped out of the tree and started to run. I recognized them as the girl from eleven and the boy from five. They were the youngest in the Arena.

Seeing the twelve year olds as no threat, I climbed down from my tree and unlaced my boots. I took them off and put them in my bag. I also took off my jacket before jumping into the water.

I undid my fishtail braid and washed my hair. I removed all the dirt from my unrecognizable face. I sat in the water for a few more minutes, enjoying the coolness on the scorching hot day.

Peeta was sitting on the streambed, drawing something in the mud with his finger. I watched as the flower he was making grew petals and leaves. It was beautiful.

"I frosted the cakes down at the bakery." Peeta said with a slight smile on his face.

I remembered back to the many times I would take Ryett to look at the cakes in the display window at the bakery. He wanted to be an artist someday and the frosting fascinated him. "If you make it out of here will you teach Ryett to draw?" I asked.

He shook his head. "We both know I probably won't. If there's a victor from District Twelve it is going to be you."

"You shouldn't be thinking like that." I scolded.

His eyes widened. He stood up frantically and grabbed all of our things. "What's wrong?" I shouted.

"Fire!" He screamed. I looked behind me and saw a wall of flames racing towards us.

I grabbed my backpack and shoved all my belonging into it. I followed Peeta as he dashed off into the forest.

"The Lake!" He screamed. His sprained ankle was slowing him down. The Lake was at least half a mile away. I hoped he could make it.

The fire was a few yards behind me and the heat scorched my back. I couldn't see Peeta anymore due to the fact I was surrounded by smoke.

I was almost to the lake when I heard a hiss. The first fireball landed inches away from my feet. The next was right behind me. I forced myself to run faster. Another fireball hit my side, burning away my jacket sleeve and part of my shirt.

I dived into the Lake. As soon as I hit the water the pain subsided and the wall of fire disappeared. I swam to the shore and dug out my extra jacket to make a bandage for my side, which had been severely burned.

"What are you doing, Girl on Fire?" Someone from the other side of the lake yelled. The Careers.

Glimmer had her bow pointed at me, and arrow notched. Clove had a sharp throwing knife aimed at my chest. Cato stood at the back of the group, with a shocked expression on his face.

I didn't know what to do. All I had was my sword but if I drew it, I would have to dodge an arrow and a knife.

I looked at Cato. He said he couldn't kill me, but would he watch me get killed?

I needed a plan. My sword wasn't an option. I had a knife in my backpack but I didn't think Clove and Glimmer would wait for me to take it out. If I could somehow cause a distraction—

My thoughts were interrupted by a scream. Glimmer fell to the ground with blood dripping out of her abdomen. I didn't know what caused it, but I was thankful. I took the chance to draw my sword and charge at Clove. She threw two knives at me, both of which I dodged.

A cannon sounded and I assumed Glimmer was gone.

While I was distracted, Clove had thrown another knife. It cut through the skin on my left arm, causing it to pour out blood.

I ignored the pain. I raised my sword and brought it down on Clove's face. It slashed her cheek, making her scream in pain.

I pushed her to the ground and held my sword to her neck. "Cato! Cato!" She cried.

Cato barreled into me and pinned me to the ground. "What do you think you're doing, Twelve?"

"She attacked me first!" I exclaimed. "I was only defending myself!"

He leaned down towards my ear and whispered, "She needs to die sooner or later. I was going to kill her tonight but if you did it I would feel as guilty."

I nodded. I didn't want to kill Clove, but I understood why he would rather me do it than him.

I pushed him off of me and ran at Clove. She wasn't expecting me so I had an advantage. I crashed into her and we landed in a patch of dirt.

For her sake, I tried to make it quick and painless. I stabbed my sword through her heart. "I'm so sorry." I murmured.

The cannon went off signaling she was gone.

"Was that your first kill?" Cato asked.

I smirked. "No, I killed Marvel."

"Were you defending yourself again?" He teased.

"Well, yeah. He threw a spear at my face when I was getting my sword." I admitted.

"Speaking of the sword, I can't believe you beat me to it. Marvel was probably trying to get it from you when you killed him." Cato said.

"I guess we'll never know." I replied.

I sat down on the shore of the Lake with Cato next to me. He watched as I re-braided my hair. It looked much better when Flavius did it but it didn't really matter to me right now.

As I sat by the water I noticed something was terribly wrong.

Peeta was gone.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated :) Have a great day and may the odds be ****_ever _****in your favor!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the late update! I have been at my cousin's house and I didn't have my computer. I hope this chapter is good enough to make up for it though! Enjoy!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**

* * *

Chapter 7

"Cato, have you seen Peeta?" I asked, trying to keep calm.

Cato shook his head and stood. He held out his hand and I took it, hauling myself to my feet.

He didn't release my hand. Instead, he intertwined our fingers together. I smiled up at him, and then started walking.

"When the fire came through, Peeta was in front of me at first. But then I couldn't see because of the smoke." I said.

I lead Cato through the woods. I felt safer now that I was with him, but I was scared to death that something had happened to Peeta.

After a few minutes of walking, we came upon a small clearing. In the clearing was the most horrific thing I had ever seen.

Thresh had Peeta in a headlock and Peeta's face was a dark shade of crimson. He had an ax at his throat and if Thresh saw me I knew he would hurt him.

"This is all my fault." I whispered. "What are we going to do?"

"I'll tackle him from behind. When he's down, grab Peeta and get out of here." I wanted to tell him that I didn't want to leave him, but Cato was already making his way behind Thresh.

"Wait, Cato!" He looked back to me. I unsheathed my sword and held it out to him. He took it with a grin.

Too late, I realized this plan had a flaw. Cato attacked Thresh but he didn't go down. He stumbled, but kept a firm hold on Peeta. He turned around and kicked Cato in the gut.

Cato pulled out the sword and stabbed it into Thresh's hand. He let go of Peeta and punched Cato in the jaw.

I sprinted forward and grabbed Peeta's limp legs. I pulled him a few yards away and laid him next to a tree.

"I'm so sorry Peeta." I told him, with tears in my eyes.

"Go help him." He handed me his belt filled with knives.

I quickly strapped it around my waist and darted back to the clearing.

It was sword against ax. I saw that Thresh had a large cut down his leg. Cato's shirt was soaked with blood; I could only hope it wasn't his.

I tried to aim my first knife but Cato kept getting in the way. If I threw, there was a chance that it would hit the wrong target.

Not seeing any choice, I rushed into the clearing. I jabbed my first knife into Thresh's shoulder, but that only made him mad. He whirled around and grabbed my neck.

I knew what was about to happen. He would snap my neck and I would die instantly. He started to move my head to the left when Cato screamed.

"No!"

Cato shoved Thresh to the ground. He handed me back my sword. "Do you want to kill him?"

I shook my head. "No, just make it quick."

Cato grabbed Thresh's head. _Snap! _

A cannon sounded. Cato had killed him the same way he planned on killing me.

I plucked my knife out of his arm before the hovercraft came to take his body.

Cato was kneeling on the ground next to me. He wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "I'm so glad you aren't dead."

"I'll have to die eventually for you to win." I pointed out.

"I don't want to think about that right now." He replied.

I nodded. I didn't either.

We walked back into the forest to tend to Peeta. He was in the same place I left him.

"Hey." He mumbled.

He was struggling to breathe; his neck was swollen and bruised. "What do we do?" I whispered to Cato.

He shrugged. "Maybe we should go back to the lake and get a first aid kit."

"Sounds like a plan." I said. "Peeta, can you walk?" I held out my hand.

He took it and pulled himself up. "Yeah," He looked at me and smiled. "By the way, that was a good fight you had with Clove."

I gasped. "You killed Glimmer, didn't you?"

He nodded. "I was in the woods behind you. When I saw what was happening, I threw a knife at Glimmer."

"Thank you, Peeta. You saved my life."

He didn't respond. He started walking in the direction of the lake with Cato and I behind him.

Cato wrapped his arm around my waist. He rested his hand on my burn. I hissed at the pain and carefully moved his arm.

"What happened?" He asked quietly.

"The fire," I whispered. "You don't have to worry about it. I'm fine."

He ignored me and crossed over to the other side of me to look at the wound. He peeled away a piece of my torn shirt that had gotten stuck to my skin. I tried not to show any discomfort, but I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming.

"We need to treat that before it gets infected." Cato informed.

I didn't argue. It hurt more than I allowed myself to show. Every time I took a step pain would shoot up my side. But Peeta should be our first priority, not me.

~O~

"Ow, ow, ow!" I screamed as Cato tried to clean my burn. I held on to his shoulders, trying to keep from falling.

He poured more clean water into it and grabbed a bandage from his first aid kit. He wrapped it tightly around me and tied it off at the end.

We had already given Peeta pills for the swelling in his neck and cleaned out a small cut on his leg. I had found out that Cato had a rather large wound on his stomach but he wouldn't let me touch it until he cleaned out my burn and the cut from Clove's knife on my arm.

"There, I think I'm finished" He said.

Cato's shirt was now completely soaked with blood. He slowly removed it, wincing in pain as he pulled it away from his chest. When I saw the gash, I knew it hurt worse than Cato said it did. It crossed from his right shoulder to his ribs.

I grabbed a piece of cloth and pressed it against his bare chest. He held my hand tightly, but didn't protest. When I had gotten all the extra blood off, I saw just how wide the wound was. About two or three inches.

"Cato, why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" I demanded. I didn't know for sure, but there was a chance it could be fatal.

"I didn't want you to worry about me." He ran his hand through his hair. "It's not that bad."

I shook my head and continued cleaning. I wrapped a thick bandage around him, making it tight enough to stop the bleeding but loose enough for him to breath.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked. I knew Cato had been the leader of the Careers so it would feel natural for him to make all the decisions.

Cato shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we can wait here until all our injuries heal. Who's still alive out there?"

I thought for a moment. "Boy from five, girl from seven, both from nine, Rue from eleven. Eight total including us."

"How are we going to kill them off?" The way Cato said this was frightening, like he enjoyed killing innocent kids. _He probably does. He is a Career, after all._

"I don't know. I'll try to come up with a plan later." I replied. Suddenly, the Anthem was being played though out the Arena and the first tribute's face was being shown in the sky. I expected to see Thresh first, but it turns out the boy from nine had died today.

"I guess there's seven left now." I said.

"Yeah." Cato grabbed a few blankets from the pile of supplies. He laid them on the ground and sat on top, patting the ground next to him.

I sat beside him, tucking my knees under my chin. Cato wrapped his arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I'll take first watch." He whispered.

I didn't protest, today had been a long day and I was tired.

I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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**Sorry it's kind of short. I'll update again soon! Have a great day and may the odds be ****_ever _****in your favor!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello Readers! Sorry for another late chapter, my internet has been down for two weeks. Anyway, enjoy!**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**

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Chapter 8

I woke up early in the morning to the sound of Cato's voice. "Does it feel any better?"

"A little bit. I'll be fine, it's just bruised." Peeta's voice answered.

I walked over to where they were sitting and knelt at Peeta's side. He smiled when he saw me and whispered a greeting.

I nodded to show I had heard him. "So, what do we have planned for today?" I asked.

"One of us needs to go find some fresh meat." Cato said while wiping dirt off of one of Peeta's knives. "Can you hunt?"

"I've killed two rabbits since the Games started. I think I might be able to get something for all of us." I replied. "Do you still have Clove's knives?"

He shook his head. "The hovercraft took them. I got Glimmer's bow though if you want to use that?"

I remembered the day in training when I had used a bow. I was a natural at it. "Yeah, that'll work."

Cato gave me the weapon. "Don't go too far."

"I won't." I slung the arrows over my shoulder and gripped the bow. I headed out into the woods. I tried to memorize the path I was taking so I could find my way back to the lake. It wasn't long until I saw a squirrel scamper across a tree limb. I shot an arrow at its head and it fell off of the branch. I went to collect the meat when I realized I hadn't brought a backpack. _I'm an idiot. _I ran the direction I came, stuffing the dead squirrel in my quiver so I wouldn't drop it. I made it back to the lake just in time to see the lightning strike. It hit a tree and the trunk snapped. The tree fell and landed on our supplies, causing the reburied mines to explode, along with all of our stuff.

I ran into the clearing. I didn't see Cato or Peeta anywhere. I darted around frantically, calling their names.

"Lexi, over here!" Peeta was kneeling next to Cato who was lying in the burnt grass. I dashed over to them and realized Cato was unconscious. He had blood running down the side of his face.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Lightning struck that tree over there and it fell into the mines." Peeta said. He knew from the expression on my face that that wasn't what I wanted to know. "One of the crates hit him."

I ripped off a piece of my shirt and pressed it on Cato's face. "Did all the mines explode?"

"I think so; I was going to give it a few more minutes until I checked them though." Peeta responded.

"Good idea." I said, averting my attention back to Cato. I needed a bandage to stop the bleeding.

I asked Peeta to help me try to find one in the supplies that weren't ruined. There were only a few things left and fortunately, one of those things was a first aid kit. I grabbed the bandage and wrapped it around Cato's forehead.

"How are we supposed to wake him up?" I asked Peeta.

He shrugged. "We could pour some water on his head. I don't know if it'll work but my mom used to wake me up like that sometimes."

"I guess we can try." I said; a little shocked about how Peeta's mother treated him. There wasn't a bucket anywhere around, so I emptied the first aid kit and used the box. I filled it with water from the lake and slowly poured it over Cato's face.

His eyes immediately flew open and his head shot up. I backed up, not knowing what he would do.

When he seemed to gain control, he asked, "What happened?"

In reply, I pointed at the destroyed supplies. "A tree fell on the mines and it all blew up."

His eyes widened. "Are you kidding me?" He yelled. "Now what are we supposed to do? Sit here and starve to death?"

"Cato, calm down. I can probably hunt for all of us. We can get water from the Lake. We have one first aid kit left and all the stuff that was in me and Peeta's packs. We also have the sword, bow, and knifes." I said. "We can go down to the Cornucopia later to see if there's anything still there."

Cato nodded, clearly still angry. I searched through the ashes and debris to see if there was anything that could still be put to use. All I found was a metal pan that was too hot to pick up, a black crate that contained a water canteen and an empty green backpack, and a pair of night vision goggles. I put everything in the black crate except for the pan; I needed to let that cool down first.

I put my sword in its sheath that hung around my waist. I also slung my arrows over my shoulder and grabbed my bow. I was about to tell the others to get their stuff when Peeta spoke. "Someone should stay here to guard what we still have."

I dropped my weapons. "I'll stay here. Cato you can take my sword and Peeta take the knives. If you guys aren't back in—"

Peeta interrupted me. "No, Lexi, you have the least amount of injuries. You need to go."

"I guess I'll stay here." Cato sighed.

Peeta nodded. He grabbed his knives and started toward the Cornucopia. I started to follow, but Cato caught my arm.

"Stay safe." He whispered before leaving to go stand by the crate.

I smiled to myself and ran after Peeta.

~O~

"Have you found anything?" I called to Peeta, who was in the back of the Cornucopia.

"Not yet." He replied with a huff.

There were tons of the black crates, but most of them had nothing in them. I had looked through at least seven and all I got was a small bag with blueberries. I cracked open the last crate in the mouth, and to my surprise it was full. A slingshot, a long piece of rope, a metal baton, a package of dried pears, and a small clear tube with a greenish substance inside. I had no idea what it was but I figured I should take it anyway. It wouldn't be in the arena if it wasn't useful.

I packed all the stuff pack into the crate and called to Peeta.

"What is this stuff?" Peeta asked after examining the contents of the crate. He was holding the green gel in his hand.

"I'm not sure. It might be medicine." I pointed out.

"Or poison." He muttered under his breath. Both of us were silent as we started our trek back to camp. I hunted along the way using my arrows. I saw a large bird-like animal pecking the ground nearby. I didn't know if it would be edible or not, but I aimed an arrow at it anyway. I released the string and sent the arrow flying into the bird's heart.

I went to collect the kill. I still didn't know what the animal was, but I took it back anyway just in case Cato knew. Even though the bird was big enough to feed all three of us, I continued hunting. I brought down two squirrels and one rabbit.

I stopped walking to pack the meat in our crate. I had to move some stuff around to fit the smaller kills, and the bird wouldn't fit at all.

"I'll carry it if you want to keep shooting." Peeta said from behind me.

I nodded gratefully. He threw the crate over his shoulder and grabbed the bird's neck in his hand.

I notched another arrow and scanned the area for another target. The leaves in a tree a few feet away rustled and I heard a low growl. Peeta was still walking, showing he hadn't heard anything. I tapped his arm, pointing in the direction of the noise. He gave me a questioning look. I was about to explain it to him when the leaved parted and a giant bear emerged.

It towered over me, it being at least seven feet tall and me only being 5'2. Its dark brown fur glistened and its eyes reflected the sun. It was a beautiful creature, but right now, it was trying to kill us.

After exchanging a quick glance, Peeta and I started running. I took the back, shooting arrows at the bear as it followed us.

I had shot all of my ten arrows and the bear hadn't even slowed. I was breathing heavily and I knew we couldn't run for much longer.

"Peeta, I'm all out!" I screamed over the bear's constant roar.

He turned to look at me. His frightened expression showed he saw my predicament. "Get in front of me. I'll use my knives." Peeta pushed me forward.

Now that I was in the lead, I realized we weren't anywhere near the Lake. For this reason, I had gained even more respect for Peeta. He had taken us away from our supplies, and Cato.

"Lexi!" Peeta yelled.

I whirled around to see Peeta had fallen due to the bear grabbing his leg with its teeth. The animal was gnawing on Peeta's neck, blood flowing from its mouth.

I looked down at my bow. I couldn't do much without any arrows. Peeta had his knives and Cato had my sword.

Peeta was screaming in pain. I had to do something, fast. Without think, I rushed towards the bear, whacking it on the head with my bow when I was close enough.

All this did was made it angry. It stood up on its hind legs, and dropped Peeta. He hit the ground with a thud.

I didn't have time to make sure he was alright. The beast was barreling towards me at an even faster speed than before. I jumped to the side when he was a few inches away from me. I took his moment of confusion as a chance to get the knives.

I crawled over to where Peeta lay groaning on the grass. I ripped his belt off, strapping it around my own waist.

When the bear turned around again, I was prepared. I threw the first knife and it lodged itself in its chest.

He didn't even notice. No blood leaked from the wound. It didn't even look like he felt pain.

I decided this wasn't a regular bear.

I drew another knife. I walked in circles, trying to find a place to throw that would kill it. When I had gotten to the back, I realized the bear didn't have a tail. Instead, there were three red wires.

_It's mechanical!_

I lunged for the wires. I knew that if I cut one of them, it would shut the creature down. As soon as I grabbed the first wire, the bear turned around and growled at me. He grabbed my braid in his mouth and tried to pull me off.

With one hand, I slapped its muzzle. Hard.

Fortunately, he dropped my braid. I hurriedly cut the wires. When I had gotten halfway through the third one, it sent a shock through my body. I didn't let go, but I screamed loud enough for any the tribute to hear.

In one swift motion, I sliced through the third wire. The bear fell on its side, dead at last.

I tried to walk over to Peeta, but my whole body was shaking from the shock. I lay on my stomach and crawled over to him. His wound was much worse than I thought. A lot of his skin had been ripped off and his face and neck were covered with blood.

"We need to get you back to the Lake. We might have something—" I said, only to be interrupted by Peeta's horse voice.

"No, Lexi I won't be able to make it back there."

"Yes you will! You aren't dying here! I won't let you!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

He reached for my hand, holding it tightly in his own. "Thank you for keeping me alive for as long as you did. We both knew I wasn't going to make it out of here." He paused and took a deep breath. "You can though. Win this for me."

"Peeta," I whispered, but he had already taken his last breath. The cannon sounded and Peeta was gone.

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**I'm sorry for the sad ending :( I promise Chapter Nine will be up soon with the aftermath.**

**~Ohsnapitspercy~**


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